Xcel power shutdown

Xcel power shutdown leaves many Coloradans frustrated and scrambling

Xcel Energy shut down power on Saturday to tens of thousands of homes in areas prone to wildfires due to high winds.

Author: Rhea Jha

Published: 12:39 AM MDT April 7, 2024

Updated: 2:44 PM MDT April 7, 2024

Littleton, Colorado: When Xcel Energy turned off the electricity to tens of thousands of homes in areas vulnerable to wildfires on Saturday due to strong winds, many Coloradans became irate and hurried to look for alternatives.

This is the first preemptive power outage that Xcel has ever carried out in Colorado. Over 55,000 customers were impacted when power lines in six counties—Boulder, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, Douglas, and Broomfield—were turned off on Saturday afternoon at around 3 p.m. Sunday is anticipated to be the end of the shutdown.

Although Xcel claimed to have tried to alert customers on Friday night, many outage zone residents claim to have received little to no notice at all.

Littleton resident Mike Raabe claimed that he was only informed four hours prior to the outage via automated phone call. Because of his medical reliance on electricity at night, the late notification left him and his wife frantically trying to come up with a solution.

"We were given four hours' notice, and among these 55,000 customers are people with families, medical conditions, and financial concerns. "What actions will they take?" uttered Raabe.

Even though Raabe was able to book a hotel room for the evening, he was worried about other people who might not have the same luck. In response, Xcel advised users in need of emergency assistance to dial 911.

"I must admit that the response surprised me a little. They're essentially telling you to deal with it; it's not my problem. So feel free to dial 911," Raabe said.

When the shutdown was first announced, homeowners throughout the Front Range were especially irritated with Xcel for not providing a map of the planned outage areas. They were looking for clarification and details. Upon the release of the map at approximately 8:00 p.m., numerous individuals had already experienced five hours without power.

Raabe claimed to have lived in Colorado for almost 50 years and to have personally witnessed the dangers of wildfires during the 2021 Marshall Fire. As such, he is aware of the significance of taking precautions. He does wonder, though, if these proactive power outages in windy weather will become commonplace.

"We require far more notification in advance than we received... They knew they would turn off the power, so this was a preventive measure. Raabe stressed that in order for people to prepare, they must inform them.

Xcel Energy hopes to have the power back up by Sunday midday, depending on the likelihood of a fire. Customers were advised by the company to get ready for possibly long outages.